Uplinked
by LaneyRockGoddess
Summary: In Ahead of our Tone, what if Mina had already been Uplinked? What if our heroes never got back to their own time? When Laney stopped Corey from connecting himself to the network, and went in herself? why am i asking you so many questions? Find out in my first ever fanfic, Uplinked! Chapter 2 Is up!
1. A Different Outcome

(A/N I don't own Grojband, sadly. Now, on to the story!)

(Laney's POV)

"Corey, no! You'll be networked!" I cried, holding onto his cheeks. He pulled away, a horrified expression on his face. He didn't want to do this, but he had no choice unless he wanted his evil sister to win. "Lanes, I have no choice! Someone has to do it if we're going to defeat Trina." He gulped and started slowly moving the device up to his ear.

I looked around desperately, looking at Kin and Kon, who were somberly watching from behind me, faces gaunt and eyes saddened. In front of me, the townspeople were looking between us and Trina with confused looks, as if they were waiting for instruction. Trina was busy screaming profanities at us on her "throne" about how we shouldn't connect Corey to the network and how we shouldn't do it.

There was no one left to do this. Mina had already been networked by Trina after bugging her forever, so only Corey, me, Kin and Kon had heard/played the song that could save Peaceville. Kin, Kon, and I all knew, as Corey's friends, that once he set his mind to something, he wasn't going to easily give up the idea. Kin and Kon were scared of Corey when he was angry, and knew to never go against Corey and were obviously not going to now. I was just going to have to be the one to break that streak.

In desperation, I lunged forward and snatched the device out of Corey's hand just before it reached his ear. He looked over at me, eyes wild as I sprinted a couple yards away from him. "Lanes, no!" he cried out, trying to run after me. I smiled weakly and held out a hand, motioning for him to stop. He stopped, obviously not willing, the hurt evident in his eyes.

I smiled comfortingly again and walked over slowly, moving the device right next to my ear in case he tried something. I was not going to allow him to sacrifice himself. He worriedly tried to grab at my hand, but I backed away a foot. "Corey, I'm not letting you do this." I croaked, my voice cracking a bit near the end. He blinked heavily and took in a deep, shaky breath. He looked at me sadly, a tear trailing down his cheek. I did a double-take. Corey never cried. Except when his spirit was completely crushed.

"P-please don't do this." he whimpered, going down onto his knees, one arm outstretched. I smiled again and walked forward, right in front of him. He stood and warily looked down at me. I motioned for him to bend over so he would be eye-level with me. He, with a very confused look on his face, stooped so he was eye-to-eye. I smiled and lightly kissed his cheek, before mumbling "I love you," feeling very brave. I smiled again, and before he could stop me and I could stop myself, I placed the device onto my ear.

I screamed out as the device connected to my brain. I fell over and curled into a tight ball, clutching at the wires going into my forehead. I was vaguely aware of Corey, kneeling in front of me, looking down at me with a heartbroken look on his face. I managed one last smile through my screams before the device took over.

(Corey's POV)

I watched, shocked, as the horrible thing connected to my best friend and basically took over her mind. I watched as she smiled at me one last time as the usual active, playful light bled from her sea green eyes.

Her bright red hair that I loved so much darkened to a dark, gaudy maroon, with black and silver streaks running through it. The whites of her eyes, which were still open, turned to a violent shade of pale sea green while the usually green part turned into a coal black. I was frozen with fear on the ground, still kneeling as I watched the next part of her transformation. Her black and green striped t-shirt changed in a flash of light to a sharp black jacket with dark silver sleeves unzipped over plain black v-neck. Her red pants that she always wore changed into ripped black skinny jeans with maroon leggings underneath. Her favorite camouflage combat boots stayed the same more or less, but just cleaned themselves and turned into a gaudy raven color with maroon laces.

As soon as the transformation stopped, she stopped writhing on the ground, and calmly stood up, her arms and legs stiff, as if she had metal rods going through them. Her eyes stayed open, calmly looking out into the sea of people like she was on autopilot. She smiled toothily, and I noticed that her teeth were completely white and perfectly straight.

She turned to look at me, while I was still on my knees. Her eyes were cold and dead, with only the slightest hint of emotion. Trina, who was now quietly seated on her throne, was looking at Laney with an intrigued look on her face, and not the slightest hint of a completely shut down network. I stood up and glared at Trina. "What the heck?" I growled, throwing my hands around. "Don't you hear our song?" Trina shrugged and looked calculatingly at Laney. "Nope. All I hear or feel from your loser friend is...love?" she said in a monotone voice that sounded like a million robotic wasps buzzing at once. She frowned. "The song is the last thing on her mind." I couldn't take it any more. I let out an animalistic scream into the sky as I dropped to my knees again. Laney had sacrificed her sanity for nothing. Now she was an evil drone under my sister's control.

The scream died down in my throat as a quiet, choked sob replaced it. I clenched my eyes shut and placed my open palms onto the ground in defeat and surrender. We weren't going to get back to our time. Laney wasn't going to go back to normal. We've already secretly tried to do it with Trina, Mina, and Nick. They'd simply call for reinforcements, or the device wouldn't budge. We've tried BB guns, flamethrowers, Nerf guns (don't ask), and paintball guns. They were indestructible.

I heard the worried cries of Kin and Kon and I looked up. Over my shoulder, I saw two uniformed men harshly twisting their arms behind them and placing handcuffs on their wrists. I froze a moment before I looked ahead of me and became aware of Laney standing right in front of me, hands on her hips. Hey, she looked kinda cute in those clothes... Ugh! Shut it Corey! Focus! She looked down at me with a look in her eyes that I couldn't place. "Hello Corey." she said in a metallic, monotone voice.

I froze, sweating nervously as I looked up at her. "Well?" she questioned in an unplaceable tone. "Are you just going to lay there in front of your commanding officer?" I shook my head and stood up, arms by my sides, looking uncomfortably at my once best friend. She raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What?" I snarled down at my shoes and watched angrily as the officers dragged Kin and Kon behind Trina, where she was sitting, smiling at Laney like an evil puppetmaster.

"What are you going to do to me?" I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. Laney tilted her head to the side and sent me a look that I swear went into the deepest and darkest crevices of my mind. "Well, first I'm going to-" Trina began, only to be cut off by Laney shouting "YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING YOU PEASANT!" Trina froze and looked at Laney curiously. "I'm leader now." Laney muttered, waving a hand at the drone army. I could only watch in horror as Laney let out a horrible laugh and the drones descended on Kin, Kon and Trina.


	2. Is All Hope really Lost?

Corey's POV  
Kin and Kon tried to scramble away from the mind-controlled drones but only succeeded in wriggling into a couple more. "No!" I screamed out, starting to run forward to try and stop the mindless people who I once knew. Before I could process what was happening, Laney's hand was wrapped around my right wrist in a death grip. "Let me go!" I growled, pulling with all of my strength. Laney just looked at me dully, still holding strong to my wrist. "I cannot do that Corey." she said as she dragged me back. Now, I knew for a fact that I was stronger than Laney. But, apparently that device latched onto her face was more than just a fancy piece of equipment that turned people evil. It also gave them powers. Apparently, Laney had gained superhuman strength.

"Why?" I questioned, realizing that I was getting nowhere. She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. Dang that's a sexy pose...Ugh! Shut up Corey! "Isn't it obvious? Laney really doesn't want you to get captured by her minions." she said in her robotic tone.

It was my turn to cock an eyebrow. "Say what? Why are you talking in third person? Since when are you Nick Mallory?" I asked quietly, very aware of my friends' and sister's panicked screams fading away as the drones marched off down a corridor to what I assumed was a dungeon.

The ex-Laney frowned, which is the most emotion she had shown yet. "I may still look like your friend, but her emotions, feelings, and memories were all buried in the darkest depths of my mind." she explained in a metallic voice as she looked down at her combat boots, as if it hurt her deeply. "All I retained were some basic memories and feelings about those close to her." I perked up and a tiny smile played on my lips. Maybe she's not gone yet... I thought to myself.

She saw my smile and snarled, her pale green eyes turning completely into a glowing bright red color. "She's not in control, you fool!" she growled, an unseen force whacking the back of my head. "I don't feel the same way about anyone, I just know how she felt. And you know, she loved you."

I stopped and my mouth flopped open like a surfaced fish. "S-she...me?" I stammered, my eyes like saucers. She nodded impatiently and rolled her eyes, the colors turning back to pale green and black. "The feeling for you is love of the truest kind." she said, adjusting her jacket. "And, as a twisted version of her, I feel that if you let me uplink you to the network, we could rule Peaceville together." she said quietly, worriedly brushing her hair behind her ear.

I glared at her as my mouth twisted into a fierce snarl. "Never!" I yelled running forward. I gripped ex-Laney by her shoulders and shook her wildly, causing her face to look incredibly surprised. "Laney! I know you're in there somewhere! Please, fight it!" I pleaded, willing my voice to sound convincing and strong. Laney backed away in surprise, a twisted emotion I only knew as pain to cross her features.

Suddenly, with an agonized howl, the cyborg Laney started writhing on the ground. I yelped in surprise and backed away. She looked up at me, face gaunt and eyes strained. I almost felt bad for her. Almost. I would never pity the evil device/demon that took over my best friend and secret crush. (Yes, I said it. Happy?)


	3. I Will

**RockGoddess: Hey dudes and dudettes! Sorry for not updating for a while. I've been busy with my other fic. But, I do NOT own Grojband or any of the characters. Reviews seriously help me out guys! So, yeah. Here it is.**

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Ex-Laney's POV

My eyesight got fuzzy and my face twisted into an expression of pain...no...I'm connected now, and I'm not supposed to feel pain... This must only mean that "she" is trying to regain consciousness. I was barely aware of Corey standing a couple yards away, eyes burning with an angry fire.

I took in a deep shaky breath, my face still gaunt. I tried to steady my heart rate, but failed and only succeeded in letting loose a scream of pain.

My vision tunneled, and everything started going in flashes of black. She was struggling to take hold of her body and mind, but I wasn't going to let her.

I went into my mind and sighed, relaxing myself, but my heart was still pounding. I was standing in a dark space where I couldn't see a foot behind, to the right, or to the left of me, but a space of dimly lit ground appeared and stretched on for about 15 feet in front of me. Laney was standing there, wrists shackled to a wall that wasn't there a moment ago.

I smirked and sauntered over, the darkness closing in behind me. The area elongated into a wide corridor made of orange and brown stone with lit torches tacked into the walls. I glanced over my shoulder and caught sight of a heavy, black stone doorway with a very large padlock. I felt a heavy weight grow in my jacket pocket and stuck a hand in. I was please to feel a heavy brass key that must have locked the door.

Laney, looking furious as ever, glared at me and pulled against the chains hooked to her wrists with a ferocious growl. "Let me go you...you evil little witch!" she snarled reaching forward. I frowned and winced once I caught sight of the problem with me staying in control. There were hairline fractures by where the metal chains hooked into the wall. She was getting loose by using her strong-willed mind; quite literally in fact.

I smirked and walked over, and with a wave of my hand, where the chains met the wall rumbled and moved down so that she was forced onto her knees. "Oh Laney, it's no use. You'll never get out of here." I purred, placing my index finger under her chin and forcing her to look up at me.

"All your friends have been captured, Corey no longer believes that you'll make it, your family has been turned into mindless drones, face it." Laney tried to tune me out by trying to cover her ears with her elbows, but my palms glowed with an evil red light and her elbows were forced down.

"You've lost." I whispered evilly, turning and walking over to the heavy door. I stuck the key into the lock, twisted it, and walked out, the door clicking shut behind me.

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Corey's POV

I watched in a mix of terror and bravery, as Laney, or whatever she wants to be called since she's not Laney anymore, let out a scream of pain and fell to the ground. I stood in place, confused as to if I should run, or try and capture her. But, before I could do anything, her eyes flashed open and she sat up abruptly, a strange glint in her pale green and black eyes.

She stood up, brushing the minimal dust off of her jeans. She glared at me, her mouth twisted into a creepy smile that had me worried. I cautiously took a step back, my arms coming up protectively in front of my chest. She smirked defiantly and crossed her arms over her chest.

Man...why does she keep doing that pose? It's like she wants me to fall over into a severely blushing, awkward, sweaty, fumbling heap...ugh! Shut up Corey! Focus!

Her eyes took on a look I had seen in a science film: either a male wolf looking for a mate, or the way a falcon looks at a field mouse. I couldn't tell. It was really a combination of them both.

She walked over, and I was still frozen in place. She placed her right index finger under my chin and forced me to look her in the eyes, my mind still very numb. "I'll give you a choice, Core." she whispered, moving her lips towards my ear.

This sent a shiver down my spine, just the way she said my name. Only Laney calls me that.

"You can either run away, hide, collect resources, and die in the long run, or join me and become my king." She produced a familiar white device: the same one that ruined my life.

An image flashed through my mind: me, with slick black and blue hair, and the same blank, merciless pale green eyes, along with black jeans, dark grey t-shirt, leather jacket, and white sneakers. Laney was at my side, smiling coldly and looking upon an army of drones destroy Peaceville from atop a hill, where a picnic sat out in front of us.

I shook my head to rid myself of the thoughts before hissing and instinctively backing away. I saw her drones filing through the doors, their grisly task completed. They looked coldly from me to Laney, expressions curious.

"No." I muttered fiercely, with an intensity that was only brought out when someone dissed my band, hit on or hurt my Lanes, or hurt my friends. Somehow, this applied to all three.

"I will get my Lanes back, if it kills me." She snarled and turned around, walking towards a corridor I hadn't seen before. "I'll make sure of that. Drones, attack." she hissed. The army of drones surged forward, bearing guns I hadn't seen before.

I was surrounded, drones on every side, some smirking, and some without any emotion. I prepared myself, thinking "I **will** rescue Lanes. I **will** save my friends. I **will** save my family." I let out a scream of determination, and did probably the most stupid thing I'd ever done.

I charged the mob.

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**RockGoddess: Okay, again, sorry for not updating this one for a while. I promise that I'll try and get more chapters up! I swear it on the River Styx! *Review if you get it* Heh... I'm SUCH a nerd. And, sorry for the cliffhanger. Gotta keep it mysterious, you know. **


	4. Oh Heck No

**RockGoddess: Okay, so here it is! I'm uploading a little faster than I thought I would...I guess that's good. Okay, and small minor detail I forgot to mention: they're all 14 in this fic. So, yeah. I do NOT own Grojband or any of the characters. I'm sorry if this chapter is a little...off-course? I dunno. Just review and tell me if it doesn't seem right. So, here it is. **

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**Corey's POV**

As I ran at them, time seemed to slow down. I saw a blue flickering sphere appear around me, and any drones I came into contact with flew backwards. I didn't know what it was, but I continued running, yelling out some random battle cry.

I finally broke through the back of the crowd, and started sprinting down some hallway. Dude, when did they add the extra million floors and square feet onto my house?

As I ran, my heart was pounding, my vision was blurring, and my eyes were burning. I processed the vague sound of pounding feet behind me, but I didn't care. I just wanted to escape. I ran down a connecting corridor and came across a set of huge wooden doors. I yanked one open, my hands flashing with strange blue lightning.

I pulled so hard, the door ripped off its hinges.

I stood there for a moment, gawking. I was amazed. This wasn't regular adrenaline: this was something else. These doors were ten feet tall, and a half a foot thick, lined with metal.

I shook my head and ran out, knowing I would think about that little "moment" later. I turned and sprinted down the empty sidewalk, my chest heaving. I wouldn't stop until I was safe.

I ran down the street to a manhole cover, and used my temporary super-strength to rip the metal hatch out of the ground.

I jumped in, falling ten feet into a stanky sewer with a ton of rats and junk. I kept on running, knowing they would somehow find me. I turned a corner and almost screamed out. There was someone already there, waiting with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Carrie." I said in surprise, stopping dead in my tracks.

She was wearing black combat boots, very much like Laney's, with worn out black jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. Over that, she had a dark blue and dark grey lined windbreaker, halfway zipped.

Around her waist was a leather belt with what looked like a laser pistol and a hunting knife strapped to it. Her long blue hair was tied in a ponytail and her bangs were held back from her face with a strip of denim.

Her eyes were tired and had bags underneath, like she hasn't had a good night's sleep in ages. She looked scrawny, like she didn't eat that much.

She nodded and grabbed my wrist. "Yes Riffin. It's me. Now, can you shut up? Or do you want the army to find us?" she hissed, dragging me down another corridor. I rolled my eyes and jerked my arm back.

"Whatever. Now, can you leave me alone? I'm trying to find Kin's-" I started. She cut me off by pressing a stone on the wall and revealing a hidden hallway.

"Secret anti-drone bunker? Yeah. We've found it already." she said matter-of-factly, walking down the hall. I reluctantly followed and the wall slammed back into place behind us. I jogged behind her, not knowing why I was actually trusting her, and we came into a huge cavern, filled with blinking equipment, and separate hallways leading off to who knows where.

Gosh, I thought this was a sewer, not a cave system! Carrie shot me a look. "Where did Kin go?" she asked in a quiet tone, walking over to a curtain strung up from the ceiling, which covered a pretty large area. I frowned and looked down.

"He and Kon were captured. Along with Trina, Nick, and Mina." She narrowed her eyes, placing a hand on the curtain. "Wait, hold it, Trina got captured? Did the drones relent?" she asked me. I shook my head.

"Long story short, Laney became the new leader. She got connected and apparently, Laney was too smart for Trina. Trina got booted, and captured by her own army." Carrie looked at me for a second before ripping away the curtain.

I was sorta surprised to see three people screaming at equipment.

Okay, two of three people. Kim and Konnie, Kin and Kon's gender-opposites, were busy hitting and working on a huge machine that looked a little like a giant ice cream maker, but with more buttons, and threatening red lights.

Lenny, Laney's opposite, was sitting back and working on a different device, muttering and cursing under his breath. I cocked an eyebrow as Carrie walked over to Lenny, who had stopped working and turned around to greet us.

He was wearing black combat boots that were exactly the same as Laney's - brand, size, everything. Not that I knew her shoe size...and brand...don't judge me! He had worn out jeans and a dark grey t-shirt under an unzipped black and grey lined windbreaker - the same as Carrie's, but a different color.

His short red hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in weeks, and he had bags under his eyes as well. He had olive green and raven black paint smeared on his cheeks that looked like someone had tried to rub it off, but gave up half way.

Around his neck was a familiar-looking necklace: a sea green guitar pick on a leather cord. Huh. Anyway, he looked skinny and underfed, but also muscular, like he replaced whatever body fat he had with muscle. Ignore how weird that sounded.

Around his waist was a belt exactly like Carrie's, but his had a walkie-talkie on it, and instead of a knife, he had a bronze sword strapped to his side. It was a pretty weird fashion statement, to say the least.

He looked surprised to see me and stood up, walking over. "I see you found Riffin. Where are the rest? I could use Kin's genius to help me out." he said in a slightly disappointed tone. Carrie winced.

"Captured. Laney's the new boss." Lenny's eyes widened. "Wh-what? No way! That's i-impossible! She wouldn't...how could...no way!" he tried to convince himself. He failed, to say it in a kind way. He looked grief-stricken. I cocked an eyebrow and scowled at him.

"Why would you care?" I asked a little more harshly than I needed to. He looked up at me, his mouth forming a little o. He blushed and looked at his shoes.

"N-no reason. Just worried about Kin." he mumbled, obviously lying through his teeth. I brushed it off and turned to Carrie. "Okay, what now?" I asked almost impatiently. She shrugged and casually placed an arm on Lenny's shoulder, like she would on the armrest of a chair.

"Just wait, I guess." she said in monotone voice. I grimaced. "What about my friends? My family? Your guys' families?" I asked. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a shaky sigh. "We-we wish we could, b-but we don't have any resources, or a plan." she said quietly, turning away from us. She shot Lenny a look over her shoulder.

"I'm going to my room. Show newbie here the ropes." she said quietly, walking briskly off down one of the hallways. Lenny shot me a look.

"Dude, that was a little unnecessary. She really loves her family, and hates the idea of them being hurt or anything." he said in a voice that I couldn't place. I shrugged.

"Hey, I guess it's different for people with siblings, like her and Mina. You don't seem to care that much." I said carelessly.

Ah yes. Y'see, I have ADHD, allowing me to carelessly blurt things out. I've made quite a few enemies. He looked offended.

I cocked an eyebrow. "You are an only child, right?" He winced and hesitated. He finally shook his head. My eyes widened.

"Older or younger sibling?" I asked quietly. He pulled a face.

"Y-younger." he said, rubbing his arm. He mumbled something under his breath: "By three minutes." I shot him a look.

"What? You have a twin?" I asked/shouted. By now, Kim and Konnie had turned around in interest, shutting up to listen. Lenny's eyes widened.

"Uh, maybe..." I cocked an eyebrow.

"When's your birthday? What's their name? Do they live here? I've never met somebody with the last name Nepp except for you." He made a face.

"October 20th. I'm not saying. Yes. Their last name's not Nepp." I shot him a weird look.

"Wait...that's Laney's birthday." I pointed out. His eyes widened. My gears turned.

"Wait..." I muttered as recognition dawned and my eyes grew impossibly wide.

"Oh. Heck. No."

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**RockGoddess: Okay, so there it is. Thank you guys for sticking with me, even through the two-month period of silence! You all rock! Especially you, StoriesOfANobody! See you next chapter dudes and dudettes!**


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